Adjustable support for rollers and printing presses

ABSTRACT

A support member, adjustably positioning a roller relative to a cylinder in a printing press, is formed of a housing containing a double-acting piston with working surfaces of equal area. Rigidly engaged with the piston and extending laterally from it is a rod which is in threaded engagement with a pin fixed in a bracket. A bearing is mounted in the bracket for receiving one end of a roller. By positioning the piston the bracket is moved by means of the rod. By rotating the pin the bracket is movably positionable relative to the rod.

United States Patent A 1 3,570,399

72] inventor WilliFink 2,625,878 1/1953 Baumgartner 101/247 Bern, Switzerland 3,079,782 3/1963 Johnston et a1 100/170x [211 App]. No. 755,531 3,164,088 l/1965 Vechot 101/212 [22] Filed Aug. 27,1968 3,180,257 4/1965 Shields 101/247x [45] Patented Mar. 16, 1971 3,250,211 5/1966 Artama 100/170 [73] Assignee Winkler,Fallert & Co., Ltd. 3,263,460 8/1966 Kabelitz et a1. 68/258x Bern, Switzerland 3,373,681 3/1968 Jaegers 100/170x Primary Examiner-Edgar S. Burr [s4 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR ROLLERS AND Assistant Examiner-Alan Kopeckl PRINTING PRESSES Attorney-McGlew and Toren 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 101/352, 100/170, 101/247, 68/258 [51] Int Cl B411 31/00 ABSTRACT; A u ort member, adjustably positioning a [50] Field ofSearch 101/212, roller relative to a cylinder in a printing press, is formed of a loo/168, 63/2515, 258, housing containing a double-acting piston with working sur- 92/138 faces of equal area. Rigidly engaged with the piston and extending laterally from it is a rod which is in threaded engage- [56] References Cited ment with a pin fixed in a bracket. A bearing is mounted in the UNITED STATES PATENTS bracket for receiving one end of a roller. By positioning the 1,604,548 /1926 Dapron 92/ 138x piston the bracket is moved by means of the rod. By rotating 2,434,367 1/1948 Moffatt et a1. 68/258ux the pin the bracket is movably positionable relative to the rod.

i 1 I I! L-LL1 J [5 If. j 1 f u 8 A 5 I g 6 J i 7 2 II I b ,3 Q or 1 $5 1 I4 Patented March 16, 1971 3,570,399 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR w\\.\.\ PINK 8 Y mandari imklvgyg Pat nt d March 16, 1971 1 3,570,399

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILL/ FINN.

23%MTQ nr lirmys Patented March 16, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTOIE WILL! PINK ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR ROLLERS AND PRINTING PRESSES SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to a support device for rollers, such as inking rollers used in printing presses, and more particularly, it is directed to a support device for moving the roller into and out of contact with a cylinder in a printing press, and also for adjusting the contacting pressure between the roller and the cylinder. The device may be used in positioning one or a number of counter rollers at the same time.

Support apparatus for adjustably positioning rollers in contact with the cylinders in printing presses is well known in the art, particularly where the support for the roller includes a working piston which is connected by means of a pushrod, angle lever and joint to the roller bearing. In this arrangement, stop faces are provided on the roller bearing which cooperate with a displaceable stop. Pressure medium is fed to the work ing piston through lines with built-in pressureqeducing valves through connections on the roller support. By means of this arrangement it is possible to subdivide the adjusting and application forces of the medium acting on each of the rollers, and in this way a partial pressure is utilized in the adjustment of the roller. Moreover, in this arrangement an additional increase of the pressure of the medium does not result in the roller contact pressure being increased. However, in such an arrangement a considerable number of friction contact areas exist and the guides employed in the support tend to jam. In the event the supply of pressure medium should be cut off due to a failure in the compressor or a defect in the control, it is no longer possible to position the rollers relative to the cylinder and annoying stoppages of the presses result. Moreover, this arrangement is both expensive and complicated.

Other supports have been known for moving the adjusting rollers relative to cylinders in printing presses which utilize a spindle rigidly connected with a piston. Similarly, other pneumatic devices have been employed for placing the roller into contact with the cylinder. However, all of these previously known roller supports are contained on or within guides and have a tendency to jam. Further, another disadvantage is found in that the piston has a piston rod extending from one of its faces so that equal working surfaces on the piston are not possible, and as a result pressure-reducing valves must be installed in the pressure-medium lines.

In numerous tests and measurements it has been established I that roller supports equipped with slide conveyors have areas of frictional contact and as a result the rollers are unequally displaced, that is, the rollers do not remain in parallel relationship with the corresponding cylinder or other member during movement into contacting relationship. Where small differential pressures are involved, one end of the roller may become stuck while the other end is pressed against the cylinder. Moreover, it has been found that where low differential pressures are involved friction has a harmful effect since one end of the roller may be in bearing contact to a greater extent than the other.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a support member for a roller in printing presses which is simple in construction and affords ease in the movement of the roller into and out of contacting relationship with a cylinder.

In addition, it is possible to use the arrangement without the utilization of differential pressures.

Another object of the invention is to provide fluid pressure means for positioning the roller relative to the cylinder and, in addition, to utilize other mechanical means for providing the fine adjustment of the contact between the roller and the cylinder.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a doubleacting piston having substantially the same cross-sectional area working surfaces on its opposite ends which avoids the utilization of differential pressures in positioning and adjusting the roller.

Moreover, another object of the invention is to provide a member rigidly connected to the piston for moving the roller support into contacting position with the cylinder and to afford a threaded member mounted in the support member and in engagement with the member secured to the piston for providing the final adjustment of the roller into contact with the cylinder.

Yet, another object of the invention is to utilize the means for adjusting the contact between the roller and the cylinder for maintaining the roller in contact in the event there is a failure in the pneumatic or hydraulic system to the piston.

Therefore, in the present invention a support member is provided for moving a roller into and out of contact with a corresponding cylinder in a printing press. The support member is comprised of a housing forming a piston cylinder within which a piston is positioned having substantially the same effective cross section on its oppositely directed working surfaces. The piston is arranged to be moved in the same directions as required for the movement of the roller. A rod member extends laterally from the piston and is operatively connected to a bracket by means of a threaded pin rotatably fixed into the bracket. A bearing is seated in the bracket and is arranged to receive the end of a roller for supporting it in movable relationship to a cylinder. By supplying a fluid pressure medium into the piston cylinder the piston can be moved in a selected direction and, in turn, moving the bracket either toward or away from the cylinder in the printing press.

After the positioning by means of the pressure medium is accomplished, a fine adjustment is made by means of the pin in threaded engagement with the rod. In the event the supply of pressure medium is lost it is possible by means of the pin to position the roller against the cylinder and thereby avoid a shutdown of the printing press.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularlity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is apartial sectional view embodying the support member of the present invention and indicating the roller in spaced relationship from a cylinder;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, however, disclosing the piston displaced to a stopped position;

FIG. 3 is another view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the roller in contacting relationship with the cylinder;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with a back pressure exerted on the piston displacing it from the position indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 with the roller in contact with the cylinder,.but with the piston displaced to a stop position within the piston cylinder opposite to that shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIGS. 1 to 5 a portion of a printing press is illustrated with a roller 2 arranged to be adjustably positioned relative to a cylinder 1. A support member A is fixed to a sidewall 14 of the printing press and within the support member a bearing 3 rotatably supports one end of the roller 2. The bearing is contained within a support bracket 3a which extends laterally away from the roller and its end opposite the bearing 3 is provided with a forked construction formed by a pair of arms 5 extending from the bracket. Bores 6,7 are provided in the forked end of the bracket, one located in each of the arms 5. A pin member 8 is fixed at its opposite ends within the bores 6,7 in the bracket and it is threaded for its extent between the opposite arms 5. The pin member 8 can be rotated within the bores 6 and 7 in the bracket 30.

The support member A includes a housing 11 rigidly connected to the sidewall 14. The housing forms a piston cylinder a within which a piston 10 is mounted for movement in the same directions as the roller in its movement toward and away from the cylinder 1. At its opposite ends the piston 10 has working surfaces 101; each having the same effective crosssectional area. On the opposite sides of the housing, fluid pressure medium connections 12 and 13 are provided for supplying a fluid pressure medium into the piston cylinder for driving the piston in the desired direction.

Rigidly fitted into the piston 10 and extending laterally from it at a point intermediate its working surfaces 10b, is a rod member 9 which extends through a slot 100 in the piston cylinder wall and is fitted, at its opposite end, onto the threaded pin member 8 mounted in the bracket 3a. Because of its rigid engagement with the piston, the rod member 9 moves in the direction of the piston and, in turn, moves the bracket 3a and the roller 2 in the same direction.

At the end of the housing adjacent the roller a pair of bores 15,16 are provided on the opposite sides of the bracket 30 and at least one guide pin 17 is fixed within the bores and extends therebetween acting as a guide for the movement of the bracket 3a and its bearing 3.

On the same side of the housing 11 as the bore 16 is another bore 19 which is aligned with the end of the pin member 8. The other end of the pin 8 remote from the bore 19 has an adjusting ring 21 note FIG. 5, which serves to secure the pin member in place.

In FIG. 1, the piston 10 is shown in a center position within the piston cylinder 10a between its stop positions, and the roller 2 is in spaced relationship relative to the cylinder 1. In FIG. 2 the piston is displaced to the left into a stop position in contact with the wall 18 of the housing 11 and the roller is correspondingly moved toward, but is still spaced from the cylinder 1. The fine adjustment of the roller 2 into contacting relationship with the cylinder 1 is achieved by rotating the pin member 8 employing a key, not shown, inserted through the bore 19 in the housing 11 into the adjacent end of the pin member. Therefore, the roller 2 is placed into contact with the cylinder 1 by means of the piston using the fluid pressure medium and the threaded engagement between the rod member and the pin member 8, as shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3,

the piston 10 is shown in contact with the wall 18 which acts as a stop and the roller is in contact with the surface of the cylinder. in an alternate arrangement in FIG. 4, a back pressure is exerted on the piston so that it is spaced a short distance from the wall 18, however, the roller is maintained in contact with the surface of the cylinder by means of adjusting the position of the rod member by rotating the pin member 8.

One particular advantage of this arrangement comes into play if the supply of fluid pressure medium is lost due to a failure of the compressor or a defect in the control apparatus, in which case the roller 2 can be maintained in contact with the cylinder 1 by adjusting the threaded engagement between the pin member 8 and the rod member 9. Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 5, with the piston displaced into a stop position against the wall 20 of the housing 11, however, the roller 2 is maintained in contact with the cylinder 1 by displacing the pin member through the rod member 9 until the roller 2 is in contact with the cylinder 1. Accordingly, the support member for the roller 2 employs a fluid pressure medium acting within a piston cylinder for positioning the roller 2 relative to the cylinder 1 and also employs the mechanical means of the threaded engagement between the pin member 8 and the rod member 9 to obtain either fine adjustment, if the fluid pressure medium is operating, or to afford the complete movement of the roller if there is a failure in the fluid pressure medium supply.

Iclaim:

1. A support member, for positioning a roller relative to a cylinder in a printing press, comprising a support housing adapted to be fixed rigidly to a printing press, said housing forming a iston cylinder having its axis extendin in the direction oi movement of a roller relative to a cyfinder, a piston axially displaceable within said piston cylinder, said piston having an oppositely directed working surface on each of its ends transverse to the axis of said piston cylinder and each working surface having substantially the same effective cross section, a rod member rigidly connected to said piston intermediate its working surfaces and extending transversely outwardly therefrom, a bracket arranged to mount a bearing which rotatably supports one end of a roller, a pin member rotatably supported at its ends in said bracket and extending substantially perpendicularly to said rod member, said pin member is threaded between its ends supported in said bracket, said rod member is secured in threaded engagement to said pin member so that by rotating said pin member the location of securement of said rod member thereto can be displaced in the axial direction of said pin member, whereby when said piston is axially displaced said rod member secured to said piston and to said pin member displaces said bracket in the direction of movement of said piston and fine adjustment of said bracket can be achieved by rotating said pin member and thereby moving said bracket relative to said rod member.

2. A support member as set forth in claim 1, wherein connection means are provided in the opposite ends of said housing for supplying fluid pressure medium into said piston cylinder for acting on the working surfaces of said piston.

3. A support member, as set forth in claim 1, wherein an elongated guide pin is rigidly secured at its ends within and extends between opposed spaced surfaces of said housing, said guide pin extends in substantially parallel relationship with said pin member, said bracket is slidingly supported on said guide pin for guiding the displacement of said bracket within said housing.

4. A support member, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the side of said bracket opposite the side arranged to mount the bearing, has a pair of outwardly extending arms spaced apart in the direction of the axis of said piston cylinder, each of said arms having a bore therein for rotatably supporting said pin member so that said pin member extends between said arms, said rod member secured to said pin member between said arms and the spacing between said arms defines the extent of displacement of said bracket by rotating said pin member relative to said rod member.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 570, 399 Dated March 16, 1971 Inventods) WILLI FINK It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading of the patent, a reference to the priority claimed should be inserted as follows:

-- Priority September 11, 1967 Sweden No. 12528/1967 Signed and sealed this 29th day of June 1 971 (SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER,

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. Attesting Officer Commissioner of Paten- USCOMM-DC 603' n u cnvrnuurur nil-"nu: nrnr:

F ORM PO-105O [10-69) on. n. 

1. A support member, for positioning a roller relative to a cylinder in a printing press, comprising a support housing adapted to be fixed rigidly to a printing press, said housing forming a piston cylinder having its axis extending in the direction of movement of a roller relative to a cylinder, a piston axially displaceable within said piston cylinder, said piston having an oppositely directed working surface on each of its ends transverse to the axis of said piston cylinder and each working surface having substantially the same effective cross section, a rod member rigidly connected to said piston intermediate its working surfaces and extending transversely outwardly therefrom, a bracket arranged to mount a bearing which rotatably supports one end of a roller, a pin member rotatably supported at its ends in said bracket and extending substantially perpendicularly to said rod member, said pin member is threaded between its ends supported in said bracket, said rod member is secured in threaded engagement to said pin member so that by rotating said pin member the location of securement of said rod member thereto can be displaced in the axial direction of said pin member, whereby when said piston is axially displaced said rod member secured to said piston and to said pin member displaces said bracket in the direction of movement of said piston and fine adjustment of said bracket can be achieved by rotating said pin member and thereby moving said bracket relative to said rod member.
 2. A support member as set forth in claim 1, wherein connection means are provided in the opposite ends of said housing for supplying fluid pressure medium into said piston cylinder for acting on the working surfaces of said piston.
 3. A support member, as set forth in claim 1, wherein an elongated guide pin is rigidly secured at its ends within and extends between opposed spaced surfaces of said housing, said guide pin extends in substantially parallel relationship with said pin member, said bracket is slidingly supported on said guide pin for guiding the displacement of said bracket within said housing.
 4. A support member, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the side of said bracket opposite the side arranged to mount the bearing, has a pair of outwardly extending arms spaced apart in the direction of the axis of said piston cylinder, each of said arms having a bore therein for rotatably supporting said pin member so that said pin member extends between said arms, said rod member secured to said pin member between said armS and the spacing between said arms defines the extent of displacement of said bracket by rotating said pin member relative to said rod member. 